


Lavender Latte

by kumjongin



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, M/M, Romance, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-14
Updated: 2019-01-14
Packaged: 2019-10-06 02:49:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17337278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kumjongin/pseuds/kumjongin
Summary: In which Jongin is a writer, and Sehun is a barista who sometimes keeps him company. And why does the romantic lead in Jongin's new story seem so familiar?





	Lavender Latte

The cafe was alight with a twinkling of dim lights, cascading over the ceiling in a way that almost resembled starlight. The lights were a sanctuary for Jongin, a signal to his over-tired brain that this was where his worlds came to life. There was the familiar smell of brewing coffee and sprinklings of herbs and tea leaves, and the sight of the barista who almost always had the same expression. To other people, it was just a coffee shop, tucked into a corner of a sparsely visited street, but to Jongin it was his office, the only other place he saw as much as his own home.

He settled into his usual booth, sliding along the dark leather to sit close to the window. When he needed a minute to glance away, the street was dappled with the occasional tourist, but more often than not it was someone who lived close by on their way to the market or walking their dog. 

Chanyeol slid in across from him, frowning a little at a manuscript in one hand, while the other hand clutched a cup of coffee that was dangerously close to spilling.

Jongin just kept his gaze trained on the cup, wondering when the first drops would spill onto the dark wooden table. Chanyeol had been his editor for the past four years, and they’d grown something of a friendship in that time. They usually scheduled a coffee meeting once a week or so, and every Friday they’d get together for drinks. “Any good?” he asked, nodding to the manuscript in his hand. It wasn’t Jongin’s, he was still in the middle of his writing process.

The manuscript plopped onto the table, and the coffee sloshed over, two little coin sized drops finding their way to the table. “Eh, passable. It’ll probably take a couple more rounds of revisions,” he said with a shrug.

Just then, the barista came over with a white porcelain cup, settling it down in front of Jongin wordlessly. 

Jongin smiled up at him. “Thank you, Sehun,” he said, “What is it today?” He’d been coming into the same coffee shop for the past couple of years, when he’d moved into the area. And Jongin never knew what he wanted, so after a few visits of Jongin taking much too long to decide, Sehun began to surprise him. He never knew what the drink would end up being, sometimes it was a plain tea or coffee, but most of the time the drink was a new idea, flavored with some new herb, spice, syrup, or otherwise. 

“Honey latte,” Sehun said, giving a quick nod, not bothering to see Jongin’s reaction or hear his opinion on the newest concoction before he walked back behind the counter. 

Shaking his head a little, Jongin wrapped his hands around the cup and brought it to his lips, sipping the sweet latte. “You should put this one on the menu,” he called over to the barista, earning a hint of a smile in response. Jongin was always trying to tell Sehun to put different ones on the menu, but it almost never happened. 

Chanyeol mostly ignored the whole exchange, replying to some email or message on his phone. “Alright, so? What’s the update?” he asked, finally placing his phone face down on the table and turning his full attention back to Jongin.

“Mm…still don’t have a name for the romantic lead,” he said, shrugging a shoulder. That was common, though, he almost never had names until the last second and he’d have to mass change all the fill-in names he’d put as placeholders. Every male romantic lead started out as Sergio, spawned from a romance novel he’d once read of his mother’s. In his mind, the books were all referred to as The Sergio Chronicles, since there’d been so many Sergios of the past. But of course, none of that ever made the final cut, it was his own little inside joke.

“When do you ever? Besides that, how’s it coming?” Chanyeol asked, grinning at him. He knew somewhat about the Sergio thing, just since he was the one who looked over his work before it was finalized. He’d once asked if Jongin had some overseas lover with the name, but Jongin had just laughed and that was the end of the conversation about it. 

“Oh, it’s good. I’m on chapter 16,” he shrugged,” tapping his fingers lightly against the mug in front of him.

“Out of how many? Have you planned that?” Chanyeol asked. While Chanyeol was a very laid-back kind of guy, he was also a man who made sure things got done. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Jongin to do his job - or so Jongin hoped - just that he liked to try and have a gauge on things at all times. And it helped how well he and Jongin knew one another, since Jongin was well known for either meticulously planning each and every detail or having no plan at all.

Jongin leafed through the notebook he brought, the one with the moon and stars etched onto the cover, seeking out his outline that he’d written into it. He came to a stop, handing over the book to Chanyeol. “Here, see? Things are plotted out. It’s happening,” he said, slightly more defensive than he needed to be.

Chanyeol smiled a little, and glanced through the outline. “And you’re where in this outline? I don’t see chapters marked,” he said, though his tone had taken on a teasing tone.

With a slight scowl, Jongin pulled the notebook back, skimming through before his finger found the plot point he was at, the one where Sergio and the main character were hiding from the witch. 

“Okay, okay. And remind me...what is this book even supposed to be about? I’m seeing witches and the usual Sergio and something about a gay mermaid? Not sure where this is going…” Chanyeol frowned a little. 

The book had already been approved by the publisher, and if he didn’t know Chanyeol he might be offended by him not remembering. But Chanyeol’s time was always taken up by some project or other, and he couldn’t blame him for sometimes forgetting things. “You dope, you’re supposed to be my editor and you can’t even remember my book,” he tutted. Just because he understood didn’t mean he wouldn’t give him a hard time.

Chanyeol laughed, the sound loud in the sparsely inhabited cafe. “Sorry, sorry, you’re right. So fire me. Now give me the summary,” he said, still grinning. They both knew that Jongin would never fire him, but that didn’t mean Chanyeol didn’t say it all the time. 

“It’s a mashup of fairy tales. So all these fairy tales end up in the same place at the same time, and the main character - also nameless so far, by the way - and Sergio are the only ones who seem to remember that life wasn’t always filled with these people, all these princesses and mermaids and witches and everything. So they’re trying to figure out how to get things back to normal...and you know, fall in love,” he shrugged.

“Right, right, gotcha. And the gay mermaid?”

“I thought Ariel could do with a lesbian spin.”

“Well, sure. Okay, looks good for now. I’m too tired to keep asking, so I’ll let you get your work done,” Chanyeol smiled, and drained the rest of his coffee and then plopping the empty cup down with a thud. 

Jongin waved his goodbye, and set up his laptop, already mentally settling himself into the world he’d created. It didn’t take long to get into that space, having spent most of his hours before sleep lost in a meditative reverie about the novel taking formation.

—

_ Sergio pressed his body against mine, and my breath caught in my throat at the sensation of his warmth against me. I should have been focusing on any sounds from the witch coming toward us, waiting with bated breath for some foreign chanting or the crackle of footsteps. But there was nothing, just Sergio, and in the flashes of light I could see his pale blue eyes that seemed like they could see right through me- _

—

“-interrupting anything?”

Jongin blinked at the sound of a voice, pulling himself out of the moment, the story dripping away from him as he looked up to the face of Sehun. He smiled. “Hey, no, of course not,” he said. A quick glance around the cafe told him that it was empty, absent of customers. He’d noticed that over the course of their encounters together, Sehun would only really come and talk to him when the shop was just the two of them. 

Sehun slid into the other side of the booth, glancing out the window for a brief, contemplative moment. “How’s the book coming?” he asked, just as he did every time Jongin saw him.

“Not too shabby, I’d estimate I’m somewhere between a third and halfway done with the first draft,” he shrugged. It was always a little bit hard to say how the final product would end up. And he knew that a sizeable chunk of the first draft would end up scrapped anyway.

“That’s good. How’s the drink?”

“Still delicious. You should really add it to the menu,” he reiterated, raising a brow at him slightly as he took a drink of the honey latte.

Sehun snorted softly. “Maybe.”

“How’s work?” Jongin asked.

“You see it. Pretty quiet today. Who’s the guy who comes in here with you sometimes?” he asked, head tilting slightly to one side.

“Oh, Chanyeol? He’s my editor. So you know, it’s his job to check in on me and make sure everything is going okay.”

“Mm, that makes sense. You two seem to get along well.”

Jongin smiled, “Yeah, I guess we’ve become friends. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone come visit you here at work, right?” As far as he could remember, Sehun was always a bit alone. He was the only daytime barista, Jongin had only seen the other one once before when the evening shift rolled around. Usually, he was gone by then.

“I don’t think so, no. I don’t really have a lot of people who check up on me,” he said with his lips twitching upward just slightly.

“That sounds a little sad.”

“Does it?” was all Sehun said before the little bell above the door sounded, and he immediately got up to go attend back to the counter. His usual expression was back.

Jongin hummed quietly to himself as he observed, sipping at the sweet coffee the barista had made for him. He was a mystery. But that was alright, Jongin liked a good mystery.

—

_ Sergio’s lips tilted upward in hinted amusement, as though he knew my very thoughts. He couldn’t know the way my heart pounded in my chest, couldn’t know that I longed to trace the bow of his lips with my finger. The witch could have still been anywhere, but I couldn’t seem to keep my focus on the imminent danger. I leaned in, feeling Sergio’s hot breath fan over me- _

—

“-Jongin?”

Jongin jumped at someone calling his name, blinking a few times to refocus. “Oh, hi, Sehun,” he said with a smile coming back to his face. It was the next morning, and Jongin had hardly had a chance to even wave to the barista before the urgency of needing to write had overtaken him. The previous day hadn’t found Sehun coming back to speak with him, and Jongin had just smiled his goodbye when the light began to shift.

Sehun snorted, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt. I brought you a drink,” he said and set it down in front of him.

Jongin smiled, looking at the glass with fruits dancing in pink tea. “What kind is it today?” he asked, reaching out and taking a sip. 

“Pomegranate.”

“You should add it to the menu.”

“Maybe someday,” was all he said before he turned and went back to the counter.

Jongin leaned back in the booth, sipping his tea as he observed the barista. Sehun often maintained a very droll expression as he worked, simply acknowledging people with nods and muted words. What he lacked in approachability, Jongin thought he made up for with his skills in abundance. And over the years, Jongin had picked up on softer notes of him, too. With how he’d seek Jongin out when the cafe was quiet, how he went out of his way to make special drinks for Jongin just because he was so indecisive. And Jongin had watched him as he worked, there was a concentrated softness to him as he ground up coffee beans and steeped tea leaves with precise timing.

Sometimes he wondered and imagined what life was like for Sehun outside of the cafe, if he had a life that existed of friends and family or if he was always this kind of alone wandering spirit. He could see it either way, that just at work he was this closed off person, but at night he let loose and was all easy smiles with his loved ones, as he’d lay his head on their shoulder and tell them about what happened in the coffee shop that day. Or if maybe there was little else for him, if he was some poor abandoned orphan who only had himself to depend on, so he’d built up a guard and walls around himself. 

He didn’t know, and he thought sometimes that he never would. They saw one another almost every day, and they’d shared some conversations, but there was so much that he didn’t know about his barista. Just the day before, he’d told him that he didn’t have a lot of people who checked up on him, so he was leaning toward something a bit more sad in Sehun’s past. Or maybe he was a vagabond, who just decided to leave one day and live his life as a free spirit.

Jongin sighed and shook his head, it was fruitless to daydream about what may or may not be true with the barista, he was a mystery who didn’t seem to want to be unraveled. That didn’t always stop Jongin from trying to figure it out. He tapped his glass, trying to take himself back to Sergio and the witch.

—

“What’s your ideal type?” Chanyeol asked, reading the question from his phone as he glanced at Jongin. They were at Jongin’s apartment, with glasses of red wine on the table before them. Chanyeol was always being sent random questions by his friend Baekhyun, who Jongin had only met once or twice. And he sent them so often that Chanyeol had begun to make a little game of it, of asking Jongin the same thing and seeing what he had to say.

“Ah...shit. What’s Baekhyun trying to get at with all of this anyway?” he asked, plucking up the wine glass and swirling it a few times.

“I don’t know, I think he thinks he’s some kind of matchmaker, so he needs to know my ideal information so he can set me up with someone who probably isn’t any of my described ideals,” Chanyeol laughed.

Jongin snorted, “Sounds about right. Ah...my ideal type, that’s hard. Maybe...someone who’s deep? I know, that sounds stupid I guess, but I like people I can dream about. People who make me wonder and guess. I know honesty is a good thing, and I definitely don’t mean like...a liar or anything, just people who have a lot of layers and aren’t obvious.”

“Oh, are you trying to say I’m out?” Chanyeol joked, a smile on his face.

Jongin rolled his eyes, “Well...yeah. One, you’re my friend and I don’t think about you like that. Two, you’re like a supreme open book. I can just look at you and guess what you’re thinking.”

“Hey, a lot of people go for that transparent vibe. The whole mysterious thing can get old,” he said, though Jongin knew by the laugh in his tone that he wasn’t offended, just amused. 

“For some people, yeah.”

“What about physically?”

“I don’t know...I don’t think I’m as picky about that? Like I guess my ideal type would be tall and maybe kind of pretty...but I don’t really know. I know what I like when I see it, but I guess I don’t know much how to describe it,” he shrugged. “What’s your answer?”

“Mm...I like ‘em hot, first of all. Nice ass. Able to laugh at my jokes is ideal, they have to have a sense of humor or they wouldn’t even be with an idiot like me, you know?” he said, as he began to type likely the same thing to Baekhyun.

“You aren’t an idiot,” Jongin corrected. He didn’t like to let Chanyeol talk about himself like that, even if he knew that he was joking.

Chanyeol snorted, and finished typing out his response to Baekhyun. “So...not to do business here, but how’s the book going?”

“Ah...it’s okay. I’m making progress, but it’s kind of slow. I feel like Sergio is...hard to pin down this time,” he shrugged.

“Is the gay mermaid getting in the way?”

Jongin swatted his arm, “You won’t let that go, will you? No...I don’t know. He just seems a little all over the place. I’ll nail him eventually, I just might have to rewrite his other parts later.”

“Well, Jongin, you ever wonder if that’s because you don’t have any romance in your life? That could help you figure out the whole romantic interest problem you seem to have,” Chanyeol said, though his tone was gentle.

He didn’t really have a response for that, his mouth opened, but no words formed on his lips. He raised the glass to his lips and sipped at the wine. He knew that there was at least a grain of truth to Chanyeol’s words, that for so many years Jongin had put all of his focus on his work and building these perfect worlds and storybook romances that he never bothered to translate those same desires and passion into his own life. He hadn’t had a boyfriend since the days before any of his work was known. It wasn’t for lack of wanting it, sometimes he dreamed of a love that would be stronger than fiction, dreamed of a man who would caress his face and kiss him whenever he looked sad. But work came first, he’d put his books above all else. And he dreamed.

—

_ Sergio stared into the wasteland before them, a frown falling onto his face. “Something isn’t right here…” he said, deep voice puzzled and quiet. _

_ I looked out to the land before us, the charred remains of what was once a bustling city now in pieces. It still smelled of smoke and decay, and I wondered how many bodies were stuck under the rubble. “What do you mean? What’s right about any of this?” I asked. _

_ His hand came and caressed my arm, reassuring me. I felt my skin go hot under his touch, a heat running up my neck. “I mean...everything else has been...magical, there have been witches and mermaids and fairies running around, but they’ve all been additions, nothing has been taken away. Until now.” _

_ I watch him carefully, the way his blond hair falls into his eyes- _

—

“Rose tea,” Sehun announced, setting the cup down and sliding it over.

Jongin blinked away the story, and smiled up at him. “Oh, hi Sehun,” he said. He glanced around the cafe, noticing that nobody was there again save for him and the barista.

Sehun slid into the seat across from him. “How’s the book?” he asked.

“It’s coming along, I’m not sure if it would be your style, though.”

“Oh? What’s my...style?”

Jongin felt his face flush with warmth, “Oh...well I mean, I’m guessing...but you seem like someone who reads a lot of like nonfiction or things like ‘On The Road,’” he said, though he hoped that somehow he wasn’t offending him.

A faint hint of a smile rose to Sehun’s lips, “You think I take myself too seriously, don’t you?”

“W-what? No, of course not, you just seem very sure of yourself, you seem introspective and all,” Jongin closed his laptop, fingers curling around the glass cup with delicate petals floating in the tea.

“Do I?” Sehun quirked a brow. “I think I’m a little more open than you’re giving me credit for. What’s it about? I’ve seen you here...working every day for the past few years, but I’ve never asked what you write.”

Jongin smiled a little, “I know what you mean. It’s kind of funny, I wonder if we’re friends? This one is about a world where fairy tales have come to life in the ‘real world,’ and the main characters are the only ones who realize the world was ever different,” he explained. He hoped Sehun wouldn’t find it too silly, though he couldn’t say immediately why his opinion mattered to him as much as it did.

“Friends...maybe. Got it. So like witches picking apples in the market to poison?” Sehun teased, a faint hint of a smile on his lips.

“Something like that,” Jongin laughed. 

“Sounds cool. Might have to read it when you finish. You know...I read something of yours before. I didn’t really realize it was you who wrote it until I thought about it, but it was good. Just kind of funny.”

Jongin couldn’t help the surprise that passed over his expression, “Really? Which one?”

“Ah, I’m awful with titles...but it was the one from the point of view of the possessed girl?”

“Oh! Yeah, that was actually my first book. I’m glad you liked it, Sehun, that means a lot. I was wondering..I’m always here, you know that, are there other customers you come talk to like this? Or am I special?” Jongin asked with a smile.

“Do you want to be special?” Sehun asked, gaze steady.

But before Jongin could even begin to answer, the door’s bell let out a tinkle, and Sehun stood up and went back to his station behind the counter without another word. Jongin sighed softly, but in a way maybe that bell had saved him. He didn’t know how he was about to answer that. Had they been flirting? Did he want them to be?

—

Days passed, and Jongin found that he was suddenly overcome by the dreaded form of torture known only as writer’s block. He sighed in front of his computer, staring at the document and willing more words to come to him. His outline lay just to the side of him, but there was a stark discrepancy between two scenes he wasn’t sure how to bridge. He plucked up the almond latte, sipping slowly as he willed the story to tell him what it needed. So far he had nothing, and the shadows were starting to draw long into the evening.

As Jongin had come to expect, when the last of the patrons left, Sehun sidled up to his table and sat across from him. A slight smile came to rest on his lips, “Hey, Sehun,” he greeted him, not near the first time that day.

“You don’t seem to be having a good time today, Jongin,” Sehun said.

“Have you been watching me?” Jongin said, the smile spreading a little.

Sehun snorted. “Shut up. Having trouble?”

Jongin noted that Sehun didn’t actually deny watching him, and he wondered what else he had possibly seen in the days that passed between them. “Yeah...not sure why I just can’t seem to get it together today. Maybe I need a break.”

“Well, I don’t know what might help with your inspiration, but if you need a break, I can take you somewhere kind of cool?” he offered.

Thus far, they’d never broached one another’s lives outside of what happened in the cafe. Jongin doubted he could hide the surprise written on his face, but he trained his features back into one of calm. “Really? Can I be sure you aren’t some serial killer in disguise of a charming barista?”

“Oh, you think I’m charming? Guess there’s only one way to find out. I’m off in an hour. I know you usually start packing it in around now, but if you hang around, I’ll take you.”

Jongin nibbled his bottom lip for a moment, mulling over the offer. “Okay. Can’t hurt to see what Mr. Mysterious wants to show me,” he teased. 

Sehun reached out and patted his hand, the touch sending tingles all along his arm. The bell chimed to the door, and Sehun hesitated for a moment before he resumed his station behind the coffee bar.

—

“So where is it we’re going, exactly?” Jongin asked. He’d stowed his things in his car, and Sehun had driven them to the edge of town, where the houses bordered rows of trees, which seemed to be where Sehun was leading him.

“Ah, it’s not much further,” he assured him.

“You know this is still a little bit in serial killer territory,” Jongin joked.

“Yep. But you agreed to go with me, so I guess you trust me,” Sehun flashed a smile at him.

There was a little flutter in his stomach at the sight, since he so rarely saw Sehun look anything other than stoic. The most he usually got was a hint of amusement or a furrowing of his brows, but he couldn’t help the smile that fell on his own expression. “I guess I do,” he agreed. “Is this what you usually do when you aren’t at work?” he asked. Even though he’d gotten bits and pieces of Sehun’s life over the course of their conversations, he still didn’t feel like he knew much about him. Mystery clouded almost every part of his life, and it left him wondering more often than he should admit.

“Mm, sometimes. It’s good to get away sometimes, so this is where I come for that. What do you do besides write?”

“Honestly, mostly I’m kind of a homebody. I hang out with friends, but for the most part I just stay home and go to the cafe. Kind of boring, right?” he let out a quiet laugh, a little embarrassed to admit that.

“Nothing wrong with that,” Sehun shrugged a shoulder.

They fell back into silence for some prolonged minutes, walking through a walked down trail through the trees. Jongin wondered if there were a number of people who walked these same steps, or if perhaps Sehun himself had worn it down. Jongin pulled the sleeves of his sweater further down over his hands, trying to stave off the chill in the air.

“Just up ahead,” Sehun announced, and Jongin could see a clearing coming in the distance.

As the trees cleared out, Jongin let out a soft gasp. They’d been on a slow incline over the path, but he didn’t realize how close to the sea they had driven. The sea spread out beneath the cliff, dark and calm over the distance. “Oh, wow,” he uttered, walking closer to the edge so he could get a better view of everything. The sun was setting, stretching bands of orange and pink over the horizon. “This is so beautiful…”

“Very beautiful,” Sehun said, gaze focused on Jongin.

Jongin felt a warmth crawl into his cheeks, and he turned to look at him. “Me or here?” he asked.

“Both.” 

Sehun’s voice was surprisingly steady, and Jongin smiled. “See? Charming.”

Sehun’s mouth quirked in a bit of a smile, and he reached out, letting his fingers grace along Jongin’s own. The tingling sensation was back, running along his arm as he closed his hand over Sehun’s. They remained that way for a while, Jongin’s gaze trained on the sea below them. The silence was comfortable, and Sehun squeezed his hand every so often, almost like a reminder that he was there. He had the pressing thought that he could do this forever.

It was after the sun had fully set that Jongin suggested they should start heading back. Sehun merely nodded, and released his hand. Jongin couldn’t even suppress the disappointment at the loss of his touch. But he didn’t reach out again, merely following after Sehun along the darkened path of trees.

“Did it help at all?” Sehun asked, glancing at him after they’d been driving for a few minutes.

“You know, I think so. I was having some trouble with the romantic lead in my story...I think I have a few good ideas now,” he said, taking in Sehun’s face. His gaze brushed over his delicately angled nose and soft lips, wanting to memorize every detail in the moment. There was a feeling in the pit of his stomach that he never wanted this moment to be over.

“Really? What are you thinking?”

“I think he needs to take the main character somewhere special...somewhere important to him,” he said, tone careful.

Sehun glanced at him again. “Really? So what? Am I your romantic lead?” he asked, a smile falling on his face.

Jongin laughed, “You might be. Would that be such a bad thing?”

“Depends. Is it just for the book?”

—

Chanyeol let the manuscript fall onto the table with a dull thud. “So...so far, so good, Jongin. But this version of Sergio...are you going to pick a personality?”

It was their weekly meeting, and Jongin had printed out the novel so far so that Chanyeol could look over it and give his response. He knew that not all authors worked like that, but since he felt like he could trust Chanyeol, he didn’t mind letting him see the rougher stages of his rough drafts. “What do you mean? He isn’t consistent?” he asked, though he himself already knew that he’d been struggling with Sergio a bit. But he’d been coming easier the past few weeks, he had hoped he’d solved the problems.

“No. In the beginning...Sergio was like nice and open and he had dark hair. This Sergio is more moody and blond. Kind of reminds me of your angry little barista over there,” Chanyeol laughed, too loudly as usual.

Jongin could feel his cheeks warm a little before he could manage to suppress it. “I guess...I don’t know, I guess I felt like he wasn’t right before. This new one is better, don’t you think?”

Chanyeol raised an eyebrow. “Did you just blush? Ooh, Jongin, have you finally broken that dry spell of yours? With a certain brooding blond?” he teased, grin spreading wide across his face.

“Can you not do this? Not here...and no, nothing like that,” he argued, but he’d never really been a good liar. With a glance to make sure that Sehun was still occupied steaming his milks, he quickly recapped the adventure with Sehun and the cliffside. 

“You guys did  _ what _ ?” Chanyeol asked, brow raising as he leaned in conspiratorially. Of course, Chanyeol had a habit of speaking a little too loudly in even the most delicate of conversations.

“Don’t let him hear you,” Jongin scolded, but he couldn’t help the smile, he knew Chanyeol was just being his excited self. “I told you, we just...went to the cliffs.”

“And held hands. That’s all? No sexy cliffside smooching? A little romp in the woods?” he teased.

He rolled his eyes, “No, dummy, just that. He drove me back here and that was it,” he shrugged. However, the smile on Sehun’s face as they said goodbye lingered in his mind. It had lit up his handsome face, and Jongin had wondered, was still wondering, how he could make him smile like that more often.

“So when’s the next date?” Chanyeol asked, undeterred.

“It wasn’t a date,” he argued. At least, he didn’t think it was. He also omitted the little detail that Sehun had hinted he might have wanted to be more, so maybe it was a date after all. But Chanyeol didn’t need to know that he might be right.

“He keeps looking at you, you know, maybe you did finally find your Sergio,” Chanyeol joked, but his smile was wide and sincere.

Jongin glanced over, his gaze meeting Sehun’s. When their eyes met, Sehun’s lips curled in a gentle smile before he returned his attention to his work. Jongin’s teeth grazed his bottom lip, “Maybe…” he said, though it was more to himself than anything.

“Ooh, someone might get their sexy seaside smooch after all,” he teased.

Jongin rolled his eyes, “Don’t make me regret talking to you.”

“Okay, okay, I’ll lay off for now so we can at least focus on your novel’s romance. But don’t think I’m giving up on yours,” Chanyeol said with a laugh.

“I wouldn’t dream of it.”

—

_ Sergio took a confident step toward me, an unreadable look written on his expression. “You’re the key, aren’t you?” _

_ “The...what are you talking about?” I asked, but my mind was only filled with thoughts of how close we were, I could feel the warmth resonating from his body. I could only dream of the defined muscles rippling his skin- _

—

Jongin was disrupted by the dull thud of a glass being placed upon the table, and he glanced up to see Sehun. He smiled, “I hadn’t finished my other one yet.”

Sehun slid into the booth and shrugged. “Yeah, but we’re slow today, I felt like experimenting. And you’re the only one brave enough to try my potions.”

“I bet they’d be happy to if you ever added them to the menu,” he said, the refrain comfortable and familiar, and a bit unlike the way that Sehun caused his palms to sweat.

“Mm, someday. Today it’s an orange latte,” he announced.

Jongin took a sip from the aromatic cup and smiled, “It’s wonderful. You treat me so well, Sehun.”

For a moment, a look crossed Sehun’s expression that was hard to pinpoint, but then it was gone. “You’re just lucky you’re my most dedicated regular,” he said.

“I’ll take it. What do you like to do when you aren’t here?”

“Besides force my customers to go to the cliffs with me?” he asked, a hint of smile on his lips.

Jongin laughed, “Yes, aside from that.”

“Mm...I don’t know, usual things. I like exploring I guess. I’m not very exciting, I’m afraid to tell you,” he shrugged.

“I don’t think that’s true. You’re very mysterious, Sehun, but I like that. There’s always something more about you to discover.” It felt almost personal to say so to Sehun, but there was something in those moments they shared in the cafe that let him feel almost at home.

“Really? I think I’d find it annoying, personally. I don’t like not knowing things,” Sehun said, but his tone was gentle as he spoke.

Jongin laughed, “I guess that’s why we get along so well, don’t you think? I don’t mind working out a puzzle and I offer the entire volumes of my life.”

“Is that it? I thought we just shared a love of weird coffee.”

“That too,” Jongin smiled.

And Sehun smiled back. Jongin’s heart fluttered like the wings of a bird, gentle and insistent. He had brought back that beautiful smile, and he ached for it.

—

Jongin’s fingers tapped against the table, staring at the document that wasn’t getting any longer the more he sat there. The words weren’t coming again, though he was trying his best to channel that day at the cliffs. It was almost the end of the day, and he hadn’t gotten very far at all. He sighed and slouched down in his seat. Glancing over to Sehun, he watched for a moment as he poured foam into a cup and handed it off to the customer with little more than a cursory glance.

But that was the last of the customers, and Jongin bit his lip softly, hoping that Sehun would come talk to him. He always did, but he still hoped that nothing would change. He glanced back at his screen, scrolling through the past scene to try and get some inspiration or encouragement to continue on. It was only a couple of minutes until a flash of black caught his eye, and Sehun sat down across from him.

“Hey, Sehun,” he said with a smile.

“Hey. You look troubled, what’s up?” he asked.

“Ah, I don’t know, words aren’t coming so easily today. I wish I’d taken photos of the cliffs, you know? I hadn’t thought about it then, but maybe it would help. How’s it going?”

“Mm, it’s good. I like seeing you every day. If you need help with that, maybe I can give you a hand.”

Jongin nibbled on his bottom lip, trying not to let himself smile too widely at Sehun’s words. “You know, you’re really sweet sometimes. How can you help? Do you want to go back?”

“Well, we could do that. But I do have some pictures of it if you’d be interested,” he shrugged.

“Yeah? Okay…”

Sehun nodded, and informed him that the photos were in his apartment, but that they could go to see them as soon as the shift was over. As Sehun went back to work cleaning up for the end of his shift, he wondered how it would be to be somewhere so intimate to him. He knew so little about Sehun, all in all, had only learned little bits and pieces that had dropped over time. Despite that, he still felt a strong sense of comfort around him as though he knew him so much better than what he could explain to anyone. He’d tried explaining it to Chanyeol, but it came out all wrong, and he realized it was something that was easier to feel than talk about.

—

“You live above the cafe?” Jongin quirked a brow slightly as he followed Sehun behind the cafe and up a path of iron stairs.

“Ah, yeah, convenient, right? Not much to account for travel time,” he joked. “There’s two spaces up here, one the owner converted to the apartment I live in, and the other part is storage. I don’t ask what it is, I don’t need to think about his stash of old porn magazines or something.”

Jongin laughed, “That’s cool, though. I mean not old porn, but you know.”

Sehun snorted, and unlocked the door, stepping inside and allowing Jongin to follow after him. Jongin stepped through and toed off his shoes, taking Sehun’s lead. And only then he took in the space he was standing in. He couldn’t have said exactly what he expected, but staring at the small apartment filled with plants and photographs, it felt right. There were planters hanging from the ceiling that were overflowing with greenery, along with little pots in the windowsills and standing on the bookshelf. Photographs dotted the walls, some of them propped up on the baseboards.

“Wow...this is really cool. So you’re really into plants?” Jongin asked, a smile turning the corner of his lips.

“Something like that. You know I like playing around with the flavors in your coffee and all, some of those come from these…” Sehun licked his lips and glanced around the room for a moment before pointing, “See, lavender. And there’s the usual like mint and basil...there’s even an orange tree in the bedroom.”

“You are full of surprises, Sehun. That makes them even more special, you know?” he smiled, taking a few steps closer to where he stood.

Sehun smiled a little bit and reached out, taking Jongin’s hand in his own. Jongin’s fingers tingled and he squeezed Sehun’s hand in return. “You wanted to see the cliffs again, right?” 

“Oh, yeah, of course.” Jongin had completely forgotten about that being the point of him standing in Sehun’s living room. He had gotten much too preoccupied with simply being in his presence and enjoying finding out about this man who loved his plants and was so closed off.

Sehun pulled him gently toward a cluster of photographs propped up on a bookshelf, letting his hand go once they stopped. Jongin immediately missed the warmth of his hand, but he reached out to the photos that were around the size of a record. “Did you take these? And the rest in your apartment?” he asked, carefully observing the sharp colors of the cliffs that settled from memory and lined up again.

“Ah, yeah. I’ve done a fair amount of traveling, I guess, and I like to be able to keep the memories. So I take photos,” he said with a little shrug that Jongin could feel next to him.

“They’re really beautiful,” he said, voice soft in a near whisper.

“You can keep some if you want, if it might help you,” Sehun said, voice just as quiet.

Jongin could feel his breath fan over his neck, and a chill ran down his spine. “I don’t know, if I leave them with you then I have a reason to come over again.”

“I might like that,” Sehun said with an edge of playfulness in his tone.

Jongin smiled, and propped the photographs again. A finger ran lightly along his jawline, tracing his skin with feather light touches until reaching his chin, where Sehun gently nudged Jongin to turn his face to him. Jongin’s breath caught in his throat, unable to look away from Sehun’s dark gaze. A hint of a smile played on his lips, and a moment passed in absolute stillness before Sehun leaned in.

Warmth spread through Jongin as their lips met, the touch so tender and soft that he was almost afraid he was imagining it. So he leaned into it, pressing his lips much more insistently against Sehun’s. His heart was beating wildly, and everything inside him ached for more.

He turned and wrapped his arms around Sehun’s neck, pulling him close and unwilling to let him go as they kissed. Sehun’s lips were soft but persistent against his, his tongue skimming along the crease of his lips before he parted his mouth and allowed Sehun to explore him. Soft sounds of pleasure slipped into the kiss, but he only pulled Sehun closer, wanting every part of him.

Jongin let a hand unwind from Sehun’s neck, sliding along his body and down to cup his ass. “I want you, Sehun,” he whispered, peppering kisses down along his neck.

That seemed to be enough to push Sehun into whatever he may have been holding back. Strong arms wrapped around him, and suddenly he was being picked up. Jongin let out a laugh in surprise, but wound himself around Sehun and pressed kisses to his neck as they went to the bedroom.

Sehun laid him down gently on the bed, fingers immediately going to undo the buttons on his shirt. “You’re so beautiful,” he said softly, making quick but careful work of undressing him.

Jongin bit his lip, “Am I?” he asked, liking the way those words sounded coming from Sehun’s lips.

When they both lay together naked, Sehun pressing languid kisses over every part of his skin, he kept whispering praises against his skin. Jongin could feel himself flush as Sehun complimented him, telling him how gorgeous he was as he fingered him open, how sexy he was as he took Sehun’s length into his mouth.

The words left Jongin panting and hungry for more, letting out soft moans whenever the next bit of praise came from Sehun’s mouth. He wanted to be gorgeous for him, wanted to be good. He pushed Sehun down on his back and kissed him softly, before he lowered himself down onto his length. Both of them moaned loudly at the sensation, and Jongin’s jaw clenched tight. Sehun was thick and filled him so perfectly, he couldn’t imagine anyone else satisfying him after this.

Sehun’s hands roamed along Jongin’s body as he adjusted to the sensations, distracting him by grabbing his ass and stroking his dick. “You’re so tight, baby...so beautiful,” Sehun said, voice a little raspy.

Jongin moaned, and slowly began to rock himself on Sehun’s length. The discomfort gave way to pleasure, and his eyes closed as he began to fall into a steady rhythm of fucking himself open on Sehun’s cock. Fingers clenched at his hips, digging in so hard that bruises would probably appear in the morning, but Jongin couldn’t find it in himself to care. 

Everything felt so deliciously right, and as Sehun groaned, he quickened his pace. He liked making Sehun feel good, liked the moans and deep sounds that slipped from his beautiful lips. Jongin’s hips rolled and bounced on his cock, and he ran his hands along Sehun’s sweat-slicked chest, nails digging in to leave reddened marks in his wake.

Suddenly, Sehun’s arms wrapped around his waist, and without removing himself from Jongin, he lay Jongin back on the bed, positioning himself over him. Jongin bit his lip and hooked his legs around Sehun’s waist, urging him to continue. Sehun leaned in and kissed him, a desperate kiss that was more tongue than anything, and began to fuck him with strong, even thrusts. Jongin could quickly feel himself getting lost in the pleasure of it, moans slipping from his mouth nearly constantly.

Jongin’s hand reached between their bodies, stroking his length in a pace that matched Sehun’s hips, and all it took was Sehun to tell him how amazing he felt, and he was coming. Stars danced behind his eyelids and he gasped for air, the sensations of everything overwhelming him in the moment. Sehun stilled, letting Jongin come down from his high.

Only when Jongin insisted that he keep going did Sehun begin his thrusts again, and Jongin shuddered from the sensation of Sehun fucking into his overly sensitive body. But it wasn’t long before Sehun threw his head back and let out a deep groan, stilling his movements. Jongin clenched around him, milking his orgasm.

“Holy shit...you are so amazing,” Sehun said, voice a bit hoarse and quiet once they’d both calmed down and were laying in the silence of the cool room.

Jongin smiled and kissed him softly, pulling him close, “Mm, keep that up and we’re going to have to go another round.”

Sehun laughed, brushing the sweaty hair from Jongin’s forehead, “Give a guy a minute to recover, yeah?”

—

Jongin woke up to the usual smell of coffee, and he stretched his arms above his head and let out a yawn. Sunlight dappled in through the window, shining onto the wrinkled bed sheets and over the array of plants adorned in the room.

Sehun stepped through the doorway, a steaming cup in hand. “You’re awake,” he noted with a smile, handing him the cup and leaning in for a soft kiss.

“Thank you, baby. What is it today?” he asked, taking a sip.

“Lavender.”

“I like it. You should add it to the menu.”

“I think I will. Your book signing is at two today, right?”

“Yeah. Meaning Chanyeol will probably be here at three. But what better place for a book signing than the source of all my inspiration?”

“Weird coffee and lesbian mermaids, what a combination.”

“I wouldn’t have us any other way.”

**Author's Note:**

> I had such a time writing this fic...I hope you enjoy it though! It's not really edited at all so I'm also sorry for that. This ending was...rushed LMAO I TRIED


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